Grey Room
by Evie-Cullen
Summary: Privillaged since birth never having to want anything. Both Edward and Bella have the same upbringing but what happens when one loses everything and the other is there to help find the pieces. What happens when the past comes . . . full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1:Cocoon

**Summary:**

**Privillaged since birth never having to want anything. Both Edward and Bella have the same upbringing but what happens when one loses everything and the other is there to help find the pieces. What happens when the past comes back and one thinks that they arent good enough? Leaving behind something that they know nothing of.**

**A/N: Another of the stories I've worked on for a while now this one is about half written so far about nineteen chapters in. I started writing and couldn't stop, the following is the result. I hope you like it. - E.C.**

**Chapter One: Cocoon**

******You give me ideas**  
**When the dreaming stops**  
**Give me confidence**  
**When the drip wont drop**

******Cocoon - Dan Black**

I was lucky to say that I had never had to want something I couldn't have.

I was lucky my parents had the means to give me those silly material things that make people happy.

In my twenty-three years of life I was well underway of providing those things for myself.

I just graduated from Cambridge business school a year ago and had been working under my father shadowing his footsteps in his hopes that someday I would take his place since my older brother had decided not to go to school instead he pursued a career as a professional soccer player even if he did have the build of a line backer.

Emmett was big at six foot five but just like my dad I had him wrapped around my little finger since I was little perhaps even since we were in the womb. When I say older I mean older by just two minutes and nine seconds.

What can I say? I wanted out and I didn't want him to be much older that two minutes and me was pushing it.

Emmett played for Real Madrid and he was one of the best players in the world at his young age he has been playing for them since he was sixteen. This upcoming year was big for the Swan-Levy family not only had my father just announced that he was turning the company over to me but Emmett was going to the world cup playing for Spain and was named captain.

My parents would also be celebrating their twenty fifth wedding anniversary at the end of the year which I was already expecting some sort of party the scale of it however is questionable it all depends on how my mom feels and about whether she would want to hold it here in Seattle or in her and Emmett and my homeland of Spain. When people saw my family they would see a typical American family two parents the average of 2.5 kids and a white picket fence along with 2 basset hounds.

My father is American my mom is Spanish they met while my dads family was on vacation in Spain. My dad had been lost wandering around when he bumped into my mom and in his accent and somewhat twisted Spanish asked her if she could help him find his way back to where he was supposed to meet my grandparents. They were nineteen and together ever since that day. Both were devastated when it was time for my dad to head back stateside thinking that was it: to my moms surprise he came back and finished his studies in Madrid once they both finished school they married and went back to my dads hometown of Forks Washington while he tried to start his own pharmaceutical company by the time he was twenty five his dream was taking off and he and my mom married in November of that year and let's just say everyone knew what they had been doing a lot of, nine months later when Emmett and I were born. We were born in Madrid on September 13, 1987 because my dad thought it best for my mom to be surrounded by her family most importantly her mom and her sister during her pregnancy.

That leads to now, it's a cold rainy January afternoon in Seattle and I'm sitting in my office staring out. When in the office I get bored easily the funny thing is I can spend days at home without going out and never be bored. "Bella, Bella, Bella. Let's go. Vámonos ya!" Alice my best friend is four foot eleven and I haven't been able to shake her off since we were four. I don't know where she gets so much energy from but she's always hyperactive when we first met as kids I remember I would get exasperated and shout for her to stop she would look at me a all wide eyed and calm down only to start up again a few minutes later. I wouldn't trade her for the world she was my hyperactive pixie and personal shopper. I saw her everyday she would always show up just before lunch and left when she wanted. She owned her own boutique a few minutes away and right now she was here to save me from boredom. "Come on I want coffee and you look like you want to jump out that window." I looked at her funny.

She didn't need coffee that would be like having an energizer bunny on crack. She looked at me expectantly tapping her tiny foot on the floor. I got my coat and followed her out of my office and out the building to the small coffee shop. I swear that Alice's feet never touched the ground she had always been like that since we were small it always looked as if she was floating.

"So I I've been thinking." we plopped down into two over stuffed chairs. "That if things were to go as planned I have to meet someone by the end of the year but I think it might be sooner. You know I mean I'd have to date him for at least one year and engaged for six months the least. I mean I want to be a mom by the time I'm twenty-eight and I'm twenty-four already. The clock is ticking. And I can't seem to find the one you know?" I let her keep going it wasn't the first time I had hear this. Alice had been predicting things since she could talk. "You know I thought that Jake was it for you but it was all wrong you had met him too soon and in the wrong place. Plus he was all-wrong in general not the right looks not the right anything for that matter. You'll meet him soon though." she continued talking and had moved on to talking about designers and collections, I nodded at all the right places and said a few words here to keep her happy but my attention was elsewhere.

I was watching a man some guy in a Suit had just bumped into him and it looked like it was the suit guys fault but yet he was being unpleasant to the other and I could see his lips moving and he just kept saying sorry but the other guy wouldn't let up for a few minutes. Alice and I were headed back to R.I.E.C. yeah my dad had used the initials of our names for the name of the company. We were walking Emmett texted me and I was walking looking down when I bumped into someone and looking up it was the man I had been watching earlier. My phone had fallen out of my hands and into a puddle; I also noticed that the notebook he had been carrying fell as well.

"I'm so sorry miss. I'm really very sorry." he immediately leaned down to get my phone out of the puddle and handed it to me you could hear it in his voice that he really was sorry. When I saw his eyes I saw It there too but I also saw the greenest eyes I had ever seen. Out of my peripheral vision I saw Alice lean down and reach his notebook, which had fallen into the deepest part of the puddle and handed it to him. He smiled and thanked her but when he looked down to see it drenched I saw sadness enter his eyes, I wondered why.

Alice put out her tiny hand "I'm Alice." he took her hand carefully and when he talked velvet came out. "Edward." and through the beard I could see he was smiling Alice nudged me and I snapped out of whatever I was in putting my hand out as well "Bella." he took it as gently as he had taken Alice hand a few moments earlier and I felt something odd. "I'm really sorry." I smiled softly at him. "You don't need to apologize, accidents happen. It's just a phone there's millions of them out there." Alice answered her ringing phone and looked over at me. "Bells it's your dad, he says he needs you up there." I looked down at my broken phone and smiled. "See no need to apologize if hey need me they can get to me somehow. Bye Edward." With one last smile that he returned I headed back to the building.

On my way back home I made a stop at an office supply store I didn't exactly know what I was doing there until I saw it. It was a black leather bound notebook I picked it up and made my way to pay for the notebook and when I got home Alice was In the kitchen. She had somehow managed to get keys to my house right after I bought it I honestly to this day one year later still have no clue how she got them when I ask her she just says that she knows people and has her way. I was secretly starting to think she was somehow affiliated with the mob. Seriously she was all sweet and pixie like but piss her off and she becomes part demon. She can be scary and very godfather like when she wants something a tiny drill sergeant if you will.

I felt sorry for whoever she got the key from, depending on whether she took it by force or charm.

**A/N: Let me know what you think . :)**


	2. Chapter 2: What's a Girl to Do?

**A/N:** Here's the second chapter, hope you liked the first. This one gives more interaction between characters and introduces the 'dog'. Yes I said it ***smirks Damon Salvatore style***. Not a Jake fan but I did like him in NM. Hope you like it. - E.C.

**Chapter Two: What's a Girl to Do?**

"Isabella Swan what have you been eating? There is no food whatsoever in this kitchen asides from cereal and milk. And I'd let you get away with it if it were some of those yummy cereals you know like frosted flakes or lucky charms . . . " I started laughing kid cereals were her kinda cereals, they were loaded with sugar. "You trying to pimp your uncle lucky out now Alice?" she shot me a dirty look and stuck her tongue out but laughed. "I haven't been here much Allie, remember?" she started going through my drawer full of take out menus. An hour later we were watching a season of Grey's Anatomy on the couch.

"You know I see Edward out there every day and he always has that notebook writing random things in there. Some people are real jerks with him and he's always so polite. They think they're better than him just because they have money and a roof over heir heads unlike him." I looked at her confused no understanding what she meant. "He's homeless Bella." I shook my head. "But he doesn't look it." She turned her body to face me. "I stayed with him for a while after you left and talked to him for a bit. He has no memory of anything he doesn't know anything about himself other than his name being Edward and that's because they found his iPod on him and it had his name engraved on the back, he showed me it. I told him I'd have lunch with him from now on." that was an Alice thing to do no matter where she went or what she did she somehow always made a friend. Once she went home I went to bed knowing I had to wake up early tomorrow if I wanted to get to a meeting I had scheduled on time, it always took me a while to get out of bed.

"Bella." the one voice I wish I never had to hear again was calling my name and it wasn't like I could fire him either he was my dads best friends son and the one guy I hoped would fall off the face of the earth. Jacob Black. We dated for years while we were both over seas at school we met at orientation even if our dads were friends and a month later we were dating. Just before we left for Spain for the holidays back in December I walked into his apartment only to find him with his secretary. I might not be able to fire him but the next morning Lauren Mallory couldn't get into the parking lot much less the building. I smiled at the memory; Jacob knew that the two things I can't stand are liars and cheaters.

"What do you want Jacob? I just got out of a meeting and I don't want to have to deal with you if it's unnecessary." I kept walking saying all of it over my shoulder I just wanted to get to my office and finish something up so that I wouldn't have much to do. "I was looking over this that the company is donating and was wondering if the amount on the check is right, it's a lot of money."

I reached my door opening it and walking inside letting it almost hit him on the face before he caught it and walked inside. I set my things down on my desk and held out my hand waiting for him to place the check in it I knew what check he was talking about I just wanted to make a point. "Is my signature on this Jacob?" I said this without looking at him. "Yeah." I always signed everything myself no stamp no nothing just my hand and a pen. "Well then if I signed it the amount is right. Anything you get with my signature is right and you know that. You're going to find another two big ones so don't get scared and come up here, because I don't want to see you." I went behind my desk and started putting my things away and when I turned around Jacob was sitting on my desk and had pulled me to stand between his legs.

"Dammit Jacob let me go and get the hell out of my office!" he simply held me tighter. "You can't still be mad about what happened baby? Really? She meant nothing to me, it won't happen again. Just stop being mad so this break of ours can finally be over, the holidays without you were hell." I was a firm believer that if they did it once they're capable of doing it again and I didn't want to live with that seed of doubt in the back of my thoughts. "Jacob we are done, over, se acabo. There never will be an us again so please let me the fuck go and get out of my office before I have you forcefully removed." he still made no move to let go of me. "Baby you're mad you don't know what you're saying." idiot doesn't take a hint. "Black you better let go of my sister before you don't have any hands to play with yourself. Bella doesn't fire you as a favor to our fathers but trust me Charlie will have no problem getting rid of your ass if I told him the exactly what happened and what you're doing now." Jacobs face immediately blanched and he let go and stepped away very quickly and walked out the door in less than thirty seconds.

"Bella you're way too nice I would've fired his ass while his pants were still around his ankles." he started laughing and then abruptly stopped and his face looked like he had just seen something that he never wanted to been witness to. I nodded my head in question. He shook his head in disgust "it's just you're so small compared to him weren't you afraid he'd break you? You know what don't answer that I don't want to know." it was my turn to laugh I often wondered the same to but in the end I would never know I never went that far with Jacob it just never felt right. But Emmett was right while he was six foot four Jacob was six foot five and was built more so than Emmett. He was never my type, which led me to accept the idea I'd had that it was more because of convenience than anything else. "Sorry to bug Bella but I've got your new iPhone for you." Angela was my assistant and friend she was shy and quiet, my dad had assigned her to me when I graduated and she was like a second daughter to him. "Angie! Has Ben gotten to you yet? I heard him mention something about taking you out on a date and asking you to be his date for the pink tie event." Ben was the tech guy and Angela had a thing for him and since Emmett found out he hadn't let her live it down. "Really Emmett?" I gave him a look that clearly said shut the hell up. "Ignore him Ang." she nodded. "I'll see you later Bella." I ripped into the iPhone box and began messing with it immediately, Emmett huffed. I ignored him he had something against iPhones if it wasn't a black berry it was no good in his eyes that and the fact that he disliked anything Apple claiming that they made everything was so complicated the only apple product he owned was an itouch. Emmett left not long after to go to the gym.

Come over to the store, lunchtime. - A.B.

Apparently the little mob boss wasn't getting me today. I got my coat and my bag and my iPhone and headed down to my car. It took me less than five minutes to get to Alice and I walked in and upstairs. Her store was cute it was a loft the upstairs was her office while the downstairs was the boutique. When I reached the top step I wanted to laugh there was Edward clad in a pink fluffy bathrobe and a pink towel on his head. When he saw me he smiled and waved and his cheeks tinted a light pink. I wanted to laugh but that would've been mean so I settled for a wave and a smile when Alice flew up the stairs carrying a bag and handed it to Edward ad pushed him back into the bathroom.

"I wanted to give him a haircut but thought that would be too much you know? Plus it's pretty." she was right his hair was pretty it was a medium brown with some blonde mixed in. He cane out five minutes later in some jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt. "Thanks Alice." his body posture and soft voice reminded me of a child's as he thanked her kind of like when I would thank my parents for giving me something I had asked for. Yes Emmett and I had grown up with money but if there was anything our parents taught us it was to be humble and not look down upon anyone. Alice brought the food out and settled down. "Emmett says you were being mean earlier."

I huffed and swallowed the food I had in my mouth. "What? Emmett is a big baby, does he really need to come crying to you when I give him a mean look?" she just kept giving me the eye and Edward who had been quiet spoke up "Is Emmett your boyfriend?" his voice was soft as always. I shook my head when I looked at his eyes they had the same effect as they did the first time I saw them every thought kind of left my mind. "No, he's my brother." I pulled my Iphone out and pulled up a picture of Emmett and handed It to him. "That's my brother." It was a picture he had sent me of him in his uniform for the world cup he still looked like a little boy that picture looked just like the ones our parents would take of him when he was little in his team uniforms. "He looks a lot like you, you guys have the same hair and nose. Is he your younger or older brother?" this was the most I had ever heard him talk and I was happy he seemed curious it gave us something to talk about.

"He's older but only by like two minutes but I could swear I'm older than him sometimes." he chuckled at that. "Where does he play?" Alice had left at some point because when I looked to her chair it was empty "He plays for Real Madrid in Spain, he's going to play for Spain in the world cup later on this year." he looked impressed from the little information I had given him and then I saw some sadness in his face. "I wonder if I have a brother or a sister I can't remember." that was when it really hit me. Edward was alone he had no one he had been living alone for who knows how long he had no where to call home.

There had to be someone out there who missed him whether it be a brother sister, parents or a girlfriend.

His attention the quickly went to the fact I had gotten a text making the screen light up. It was Emmett he had sent me a picture of him sitting in my chair with my mac book air sitting on his head while he stuck his tongue out at me. "Ugh and that is my cue to go otherwise he might just break that pretty piece of machinery." my electronics were like my children you didn't mess with them. "Mine doesn't turn on." he pulled out his itouch showing it to me. "Maybe I can charge it for you and I'll bring it back to you tomorrow?" he nodded letting me know it was ok. "You'd do that for me?"

**A/N:** Let me know what you think. :)


	3. Chapter 3: Smile Like You Mean It

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie owns it, much to my dismay. What I do own is a new BMW X5 with a sticker that says 'I drive like a Cullen'

**Chapter Three: Smile Like You Mean It**

"Emmett what the hell are you doing?" he looked up with a face that said 'I don't know and I don't care cause I'm having fun' he had somehow made a tunnel out of my MacBook and some books then proceeded to make a track out of pens. I have no idea where he got the little cars but with the same look on his face but this time with a smirk he made the car go through the MacBook tunnel and through the racetrack. I cringed on it's way the car hit the MacBook I wasn't sure if it had been the screen or the keyboard. "Bella! Mom says we get to go to her house today for dinner so let's go." he unceremoniously threw my MacBook into it's carrying bag and started throwing things back to where they should be and stood up. He had just destroyed my desk, but I wouldn't get mad Emmett is messy by nature he's all boy through and through. It was only two in the afternoon but if we wanted to get home in time for dinner we would have to leave now. The trip to forks where my dad grew up and in turn where we grew up was four hours away from Seattle if we left now we'd be lucky to get there at six or six thirty. Four hours in my BMW X5 with Emmett I was not looking forward to unless he was properly entertained.

Just as we were leaving Seattle I remembered something and I made my way to the Best Buy I had seen. I left a whining Emmett in the car while I quickly ran in picking up what I wanted and then made my way back to the whiner.

Four and a half hours later we finally got to my parents house and the first chance I got to get out of the car I took it and I'm sure I looked like Teddy from A.I. when the two little boys are calling him and he runs to the mom except right now I ran to my dad "Daddy!" he grinned and hugged me. "Emmett?" I nodded and that was all he needed to know. He ushered me inside Emmett was already in the kitchen charming my mom into giving him some cookies, his mouth was already full with them.

"So Bella I was thinking that for the pink tie we can use ivory and a light pink or a light grey, white and pink? Or maybe throw in some black somewhere?" as we ate dinner my dad and Emmett were discussing his upcoming training leaving my mom and I to discuss the pink tie event. It was something my dad had started doing ten years ago and this was the first that would happen under my control of the company and to be honest I was nervous it was a charity event for the breast cancer society and I didn't want it to fail miserably.

I tried picturing the color schemes my mom was talking about when I remembered Alice mentioning the same color schemes and I smirked. "Alice is helping you isn't she?"

I knew it when it came to party planning my mother and Alice were a force to be reckoned with she looked guilty confirming my suspicion. The event wasn't for anther two and a half months but time was becoming less and less to make decisions. "Why don't we go with the ivory and light pink and somehow find a way to incorporate the black I don't want it to over power the other two." she agreed with me and we tried to come up with ways to bring in the black.

Once dinner was over I went into my dads study where I had left Edwards iPod charging, it now had a full battery and I was curious about it and contemplated going through it to see if he had anything in it that could lead up to his family but I held back and put it in my pocket and headed back to my parents and Emmett. We stayed for a while longer playing some board games by the time it was close to midnight my parents refused to let me go my mother even brought out her Spanish to scold and you knew she meant business when she used it, bringing back memories of when I was young and how when my dad would scold us we'd be scolded in English but when my mom scolded us it was always in Spanish so when they would both go at us at the same time we would laugh.

Whenever she was frustrated the Spanish would come out. I had inherited that, if I was mad the Spanish was sure to come out except I also had German and French to use and they often made an appearance as well.

She pushed me up the stairs and into my bedroom it hadn't changed much. It was still the same, the walls were a pale yellow the furniture and bed frame were black the floor was a dark wood and my rocking chair sat in a corner by my bookshelves along with a few over stuffed chairs. I changed for bed and plopped into it along side 'Teddy' but mine didn't walk and talk and picked Edwards iPod up this time sliding the bar that would unlock it. I tried his contacts, they were empty. I tried his pictures; they were mostly of nature none of his family.

I checked his calendar and there was nothing there either. I looked at his music and was surprised to find that he had a similar taste in music as myself. I looked through his playlists and found one titled 'My Compositions' I clicked on the first one on the list and the sound of a piano sounded from the small device and I was amazed if there was even the slightest chance that he himself had written this he had talent this wasn't something common. I fell asleep to his music.

In the morning I had coffee with my dad and some fruit before I made my way back to Seattle. I would make it back just in time for lunch with Alice as I pulled into the parking space a few feet away from Alice's I made sure his iPod was charged and I took the earphones I had picked up yesterday and plugged them in. "Bella! Upstairs now, I need to take your measurements for your dress." the little mob boss gave her orders from where she was helping a customer. I headed upstairs and I was surprised when I walked up there and saw the changes that had taken place over the last twenty-four hours.

Twenty-four hours ago this space was Alice's workspace now there had been a small room constructed in the corner where the bathroom was. Edward was standing in the doorway to said room in jeans and a white t-shirt his beard still in place and his hair in his face. "Hi Bella." he had his lopsided smile on his face and once again my mind was in the gutter. "Hey Edward. Oh I charged it for you." I dug through my bag and pulled it out and walked over to him.

When I handed it to him he looked at the earphones strangely I wondered if he didn't know what they were. "These aren't mine." he held he ear buds up for me to see. "Actually they are I got them for you last night so you can listen to your music." he made a face. "You guys are doing a lot for me and I haven't done anything for you guys you guys are girls I should be doing things for you." typical male behavior was making itself present.

He didn't want things done unless he did something in return and the fact that we were girls made it more important he do things for us. In the little I had seen of him yesterday I noticed he was chivalrous he had pulled out the chairs for Alice and I as well as led me to my car and watched until I left. I think his parents are the ones to blame right now.

"You help me. You helped me bring in those boxes earlier and then you helped me put them away and you got me coffee this morning too when I was really busy." he made a face obviously thinking that wasn't much but said nothing. That was two weeks ago apparently the measurements got mixed up with hers.

So here I was again for some more.

Alice made me stand up on a small platform to take my measurements. Edward just kind of stood back and watched quietly as Alice did her thing. After a while I got bored and got his attention and started making wired faces which made him laugh. His laughter seemed to get the attention of Alice. "What's so funny?" Edward straightened out his face as much as he could "Nothing." she raised and eyebrow but said nothing. "Fine!" she huffed "So I'm guessing you don't want to wear pink?" I shook my head there was no way I was wearing pink. "I thought so, so I picked out this black fabric for you and this blue and a dark grey one so you take your pick and I'll start on he dress for you." she was holding up samples of the colors she had showed me against my skin. "What do you think Edward? Which one do you like better?" she said with a smirk. I looked over at him curious to see what his preference was. His cheeks tinted a light pink and he cleared his throat. "Um for that dress I think the black would look nice on her." I narrowed my eyes "Why does he know what the dress looks like and I don't? Mary Alice Brandon?" she cringed she hated when people used her full name.

She winked at him before she answered me. Her answer was very simple "Because he helped me." that was all she gave me. She then had me measure her and a bored Edward went to his iPod I watched him fiddle with it for a bit before he got to his music and I heard The killers coming out of the tiny ear buds and a small smile on his face. Alice noticed me watching him and smiled. "He's more accepting of things now that I have him do more and that's only because he asked. So now he closes up and cleans around a bit." once I was done measuring her she dragged me to her drawing table. "He's a really sweet guy, the girls love him they flirt with him a bit and it always makes him blush like you do." the 'girls' she was talking about were the girls that worked for her and I didn't know how I felt about them flirting with him, I had become protective of him.

"He doesn't really pay attention to them though at first I thought he liked Kelsey but he told me he didn't. He did tell me who interested him but I can't tell you it's a secret." well that's nice, I thought. We were buddies he would walk me back to work everyday after lunch and would join Alice and me for coffee. Then again the pixie had her ways she was just a miniature version of a mob boss. "You like him." it wasn't a question it was a statement she looked at me asking me to deny it. "I don't." even to my ears it sounded half hearted but it was true I was just protective of him. "Bella you can lie to yourself but you can't lie to me. I saw your face when I said the girls flirt with him and when I mentioned Kelsey. You like him, he's a good guy very sweet." I huffed "I do not! I'm just protective of him." she laughed and I was just happy Edward couldn't hear our conversation.

"Protective . . . Riiiiight." meddling pixie mob boss. I pushed her shoulder "I'm going back to my office when you decide to have adult conversations you come find me." I put my coat on and grabbed my bag and started heading for he stairs. When she started laughing. I was on the last step when I stopped it wasn't Alice.

"Bella, wait!" I turned around to see Edward rushing down the stairs while putting his jacket on. Alice watched from where she sat smirking. "I always walk you back." he smiled and led me to the door holding it open for me.

I looked forward to these walks we would talk about anything that had his attention for the moment his insight into things was refreshing and new. Seeing Jacob on our daily walks back was nothing new but today he seemed like he didn't like it.

"Well then I'll see you tomorrow?" I smiled he always asked that question once we were in front of my building. "I'll see you tomorrow." instead of moving away from me he came closer and made some weird move that I recognized as him trying to give me a hug. He'd been spending way too much time with Alice the hugger.

To make it less awkward I just straight out hugged him and he wrapped his arms around me and I felt safe like nothing could touch me I'd never had that feeling with Jacob. When we stepped away from each other he looked almost giddy it was cute. He had a wide smile across his face.

"See you tomorrow Bella." he began walking back to the boutique.

On my way into the building I saw Jacob, but today there was a look in his eyes that I didn't like, it was dangerous.

**A/N: **Thoughts?


	4. Chapter 4: Soul Survivor

**A/N**: Here it is chapter four hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**Chapter Four:**

**Soul Survivor**

A couple of more weeks passed and we had yet to find any information about Edward or his family. At this point I was ready to call my dads go to guy when it came to things he wanted done. He was still staying at Alice's boutique helping her out with small things. He still looked much the same except Alice had taken him to get his hair trimmed she still had no idea about what to do about the beard. He would also now get me from work and walk to and from Alice's. He apparently was now a hugger just like Alice, I got a hug when he picked and dropped me off and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it.

Alice kept pestering me about whatever feelings I had for Edward which were nothing more than protectiveness at least that was what they were to me. Alice had also taken to giving him money; she would give him one hundred a week.

In true Edward fashion he refused for a while, I was happy I was there when Alice decided to do that it was funny to see. Alice was tiny whereas Edward was six foot three, we know we measured him one day. Alice stood on a stool that day and went mob boss on him telling him he would take it, and went on to tell him of things he could do with it. His ears perked up when he heard books and magazines and he accepted.

He was slowly becoming more of a guy as we watched. Since he had been here with us Alice had gotten the biggest cable package there was giving him all the movie channels well pretty much every channel known to man. When Alice and I would start girl talk he would either get his iPod out, I had gotten him a charger so that he could have it whenever he wanted. It was the iPod or he would find a movie it was never a chick flick it was always one where things would be blown up and gunshots could be heard. It was that or science channels sometimes the history channel or the travel channel. I liked watching him when he would watch discovery health his face would be full of pure concentration and amazement. Alice had more than once caught me and would always tell me I was lying to myself.

There were some mornings when he would be outside R.I.E.C. sitting on a bench outside this usually meant he wanted to take me out for breakfast. The first morning he did it was a surprise I could tell Alice had done some Edward shopping he was not in his usual tshirt and jeans he had an army style jacket with what looked like to be a black v neck sweater underneath and his jeans looked expensive, and when I saw the back pockets and the stitching I knew they were. They were my favorite brand of jeans, MEK. Alice had most certainly had her fun. She had done something with his beard it was no longer as big as it was before it was shorter that morning and when he saw me he smiled and took me out for coffee and a banana nut muffin. He insisted on paying, he looked proud of himself as he did and that in turn made me happy.

That day when I went to Alice's I looked at her questionably and knowing why I was looking at her that way she answered me "He was fine with it because I told him you liked those kind of jeans." I shook my head at her but for some reason it made me happy. Since then every morning that he decided he would take me to breakfast he always wore those jeans.

Jacob was always there when we got back from lunch the same dangerous look on his face it had me worried Jacob had a temper but I don't see why he would be so bothered it made no sense. The difference this afternoon was hat as I stepped into the elevator so did he. We were silent for the first two floors once we hit the third floor he cleared his throat. "What do you want Jacob?" he turned to face me. "Are you dating him? The pretty boy?" I made a face he honestly wanted to have this conversation. "What does it matter to you?" he took a step closer to me. "It matters to me because you are my girlfriend." I stopped him there. "I'm not your girlfriend you gave that up on December eighth if you don't remember. It is none of your business about whether I'm seeing someone or not. It no longer concerns you." we had reached his floor and he walked out, the way he walked let me know he was mad.

When I got to my floor I stepped off and Angela was looking at me with a curious smile. She oddly resembled Alice "Whats up Ang?" her smile became wider and she pointed for me to go I to my office. When I walked in there was a single white with a black center anemone sitting on my desk set atop a black envelope. I turned to see Angela and tilted my head slightly. "It got here about an hour ago but they didn't say who it was from." I walked over to my desk and sat down just watching the flower for a few minutes Angela continued watching me waiting to see what would happen. The white anemone with the black center was one of my favorite flowers and very few people knew that only Emmett Alice Jacob and my parents knew that. I didn't want to open it thinking it would be from Jacob it was the most probable sender. I picked up the envelope and opened it pulling out the heavy card that was in it. It was ivory colored with black framing around it. When I saw the elegant script that was on it I knew it wasn't Jacob but I also didn't know who it was from.

Bella,

I was wondering if you would go to dinner with me on Friday evening. You can pick the place and the time.

Edward

A smile crept onto my face, it wasn't Jacob it was Edward and for some reason that made me feel like a giddy schoolgirl. Angela was bouncing in place watching me "So?" Angela didn't know about Edward yet so I settled for the next best thing. "Its from a friend of mine." she looked at me expecting more "He asked me to dinner." she did a very Alice like thing and squealed. "Like a date?" I didn't know the answer to that and it probably was just dinner between two friends. "I don't know Angela, I'm not sure."

I went home that day with the same feeling it was silly but I couldn't make I go away. My iPhone started ringing and I answered it was Alice "Bella do you think you can do something for me?" she had gone home during our lunch she didn't feel good and looked a little pale. "I know it's like eight at night but do you think you can bring me my sketch book? It's back in the boutique." I had already been getting my sneakers on and pulling a hoodie over my head. By the time we ended the call I was already in my car and backing out of the garage. I drove the half hour it took to get to the store. When I drove out front I could see light coming from the upstairs and knew Edward was up there I pulled up out back and set my car in park and turned it off. When I got off and looked around I saw that the light inside that led out was on but then my eyes settled on a shivering form that was lying on the floor under the pouring rain. It was curled up in the fetal position uncontrollably shivering as I stepped closer with my taser gun in hand I immediately put it away and ran the last steps. "Edward!" I kneeled down beside him and looked him over. His face was swollen and there was blood partially covering it, he was clutching his sides groaning in pain. "Bella?" I moved his hair away from his face tenderly afraid to hurt him anymore than he already was. "Its not safe. Go inside, or home." he managed to groan that out through clenched teeth. "Edward I have to get you up ok? It's gonna hurt some but we have to get you up and out of the rain." I put my arm around his shoulder and moved him to a sitting position as he hissed in pain. I let him sit for a few moments hoping a bit of the pain would subside before I tried to move him again into a standing position. "You're going to have to pull yourself up now to help me a bit okay? We need to get you standing so I can get you into the car." he nodded and when I started pulling him up he used all the strength he had to help me. "Argh! Bella it hurts so bad." this came out more as a cry and I wished I could take the pain away. I led him a few steps under an over hang and had him lean against the wall while I brought my car over so that he wouldn't have to walk any further. Once I had the car there I opened the trunk taking out the emergency kit I had in there. I quickly pulled out some gauze to clean him up a bit until I could get him home and a blanket to wrap him up in I also pulled out a spare jacket I kept in the back for myself.

I rushed over to him and wrapped the blanket around him and carefully led him to the car and got him in. He was still shivering to he point I could hear his teeth chatter. I got the gauze out of the small package and started cleaning him he would wince occasionally when I touched a spot that was sensitive and I would apologize once I had him as cleaned up as I could get him while he was in the car I put on the jacket and walked to the drivers side getting in I drove out front of the store knowing it had to be safer than it was out back since there were restaurants around it hat had people coming in and out of them. "I'm going in to get some of your things ok? I'll be right back." he sounded like he was about to protest but instead he just nodded. I made sure I locked the car and ran inside and up the stairs. I threw his clothes into a duffle Alice kept as well as his shoes and iPod then I went in search of Alice's sketch pad and made sure the back was locked and locked the front and threw everything into the back of the SUV. He was still shaking and groaning. In pain, I don't think I've ever driven as fast as I did in my rush to get home. Once I had him in a room on a bed I called Mr. Brandon, Alice's dad he was a doctor he could help. "Bella honey are you ok?" I tried to control the panic in my voice as I spoke "Peter do you think you could come to my place right now? I need your help, someone attacked my friend and I found him on the floor." I could hear the rustling of clothes in the background and the sound of keys being picked up. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Five minutes later Peter was at my door and I let him in. "Where is he?" I led him to the room across from mine where I had put Edward and he quickly turned to doctor mode. "Son, can you hear me?" Edward nodded. "Ok you need to tell me where it hurts." what happened next made me smile a little. "It hurts everywhere, just make it stop." it reminded me of Emmett when he was in pain. Peter chuckled a bit and a bothered look crossed Edwards face for a moment. "You need to be a bit more specific than that son." I stepped out to call Alice. "Hey, something happened to Edward some one attacked him he was lying out back." the shrieking began and I sounded weird since she had a sore throat. "Alice calm down he's fine he's with your dad right now. I'm going to go drop your book off right now just let me tell your dad. See you in a few."

As I walked in Peter was checking Edwards face and he would wince and hiss every so often. "I'm going to drop Alice's sketchbook off I'll be right back." when I got to Alice she was frantic shooting question after question to me and I answered the best I could. She let me go only because I told her Edward needed me then her face turned to that annoying one and she rushed me out and into my car.

When I walked into the room there was a towel clad Edward his chest and ribs were bruised along with his stomach. I gasped and Peter came out of the bathroom with some dressings. "Does Edward have any clothes here?" I nodded. "Do you think you can take some out for him." I nodded and headed for the bag and Edward limped his way over and I eyed him sternly "Get in bed Edward." he made a face but limped towards bed. I took a pair of boxer briefs out along with a wife beater and some lounge pants and laid them beside him. "Umm I'll step out for a few." I could tell when he was getting dressed because I heard groaning and complaints about pain. Peter began dressing his wounds and I brought Edward a bottle of Voss and put it by his bedside table he had turned to look at me and I could tell he was fighting too stay awake Peter had given him pain medication when my iPhone rang again this time it was my mom reminding me about the cake tasting appointment for Friday morning and then she started talking about the event and once she started she couldn't be stopped. Half an hour later she decided it was time for bed and Peter came back out.

"Your boyfriend?" he had a smile on his face, he was questioning me as if I was his daughter. "No, no just a close friend of mine." he nodded. "But you have feelings for him, he has them for you." I shook my head at that denying it and at the moment he resembled Alice when the look clearly read bullshit. "You'll see soon enough." he kissed my forehead and started for the door. "I left some pain meds that should last until tomorrow afternoon. I left instructions with them I also left prescriptions for you to get filled. He has three cracked ribs two on the right one on the left. I put some stitches on his eyebrow that was busted open. I also put some on his lower lip. He doesn't have a concussion but you should still check on him every so often. He has a fever of one oh one point three so keep an eye on that. If anything else comes up give me a call ok?" I nodded and gave him a hug goodbye. I got ready for bed and then went to check on him. His ribs were wrapped up and he bruising on his chest had become darker. His eye was swollen and bruised I could also see the stitching on both his eyebrow and lip and his forehead was burning up. I went into the bathroom and got a washcloth and soaked it in cold water. I took a seat beside him on the bed and placed the cloth on his forhead when he stirred "Bella?" I took the cloth off of his forbear and just dabbed it. "I'm here." he smiled and groaned a bit. "It doesn't hurt so much anymore, I kinda feel like I'm floating." I wanted to giggle but held it back just looking at his face as I saw his lids get heavy again. Once I was sure he was asleep I went to my room set my alarm to wake me every hour and went to bed.

I woke him up in the morning for some more pain medication and for him to drink something his temperature was much the same but it shouldn't worry me until it's been there for three days. "Edward I'm going out for a while. I'm going into the office to get some things and fill your prescription ok?" he nodded weakly giving me half a smile.

What I saw when I got to R.I.E.C. I felt my blood boil some and instead of going up to my office I got back into my car and drove to the boutique letting Alice know I was going to be going through the surveillance tapes. I then went home and checked on Edward I felt bad waking him up but I had to do it. "Edward? You need to tell me something Ok?" he nodded and opened his good eye to look at me. "What did the person who did this to you look like?" he coughed a bit so I gave him water and then he answered me letting me know what I already did and I left him again with a promise to be back soon with lunch for him.

**A/N: **Thoughts?


	5. Chapter 5: Don't Panic

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait but RL is a bitch. I'm dealing with my own version of Edward at the moment ( and not the 'yay he's making me happy version' its the NM stubborn version. ) , lets just say its effing frustrating. But here it is hopefully posting will be quicker from now on. **

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: None of it is mine. What I do own is a very frustrated mind at the time.**

**Chapter Five: Don't Panic**

Sitting behind my desk I started up my computer and plopped in the surveillance DVD into my player and turned on the flat. "Baby, you called." for once I wanted his voice in the same room as me.

I turned around and strode purposefully over to where he was pulling my hand back while balling it into a fist I didn't realize I had struck him until I heard his yelps. I made sure I'd hit his black eye that he was sporting "Fuck baby! What was that for?" I wanted to hit him again but held back because my poor hand was throbbing. "For the last fucking time Jacob I am not your baby or your anything for that matter! Where the hell were you last night and what did you do?" his face changed but he quickly got it back to what it was before. "What the hell did he ever do to you?" I could feel things starting to spin. That was something I hated about getting really mad I had the urge to cry and things started spinning.

"He is trying to take away my girlfriend and goddammit I will not let that pretty boy take you away from me. I will not lose you to him." his voice was raising by the minute but at this point I couldn't find my self to care. "You can't lose something that isn't yours Jacob." I could see his jaw clenching. "You're with him aren't you?" I didn't see the great importance he was giving this. Could he not face that there was no longer an 'us'? "I don't see why it would matter to you Jacob. If I am with Edward or not is no longer your business. So don't lose sleep over it. We are no longer together and haven't been since last December it is now almost the end of February you must be some sort of stupid for that not to register in your head." he was about to interrupt when I held up my hand to stop him. "I will not make a scene and fire you on the spot as a courtesy to our parents but you have til the end of March to turn in your resignation and to find a new job but this is me firing you."

His face was now red from anger "I will sue Isabella, you assaulted me with out any provocation." his threat didn't worry me. I pointed towards the TV and pressed play I turned away and didn't watch because when I did I felt sick. "You go ahead and sue me Jake I'll make sure this makes it's way into the hands of authorities and I'm pretty sure you'll end up screwed over more so than myself." his face paled when he realized I was right. He stormed out of my office not looking back.

"Ang if he's any trouble later have security escort him out and take his access cards. I'm going home now. If there's anything important call me. I'll see you Thursday maybe but for sure on Friday." we said our goodbyes and I headed out to my car. I pulled up to the local CVS and picked up the medicine for Edward. I then headed to Target to buy some things like Gatorade, sprite and things to take care of Edwards injuries I then stopped by a grocery store to get things for a chicken soup and food in general since there wasn't much of it in my kitchen.

When I got home he was asleep his fever hadn't gone down and he would groan every now and then. I took the blankets off of him in hopes that would lower his temperature and headed back to the kitchen to make him something to eat.

As I was making the soup a very sick Alice showed up on my door step and she looked like crap and I started laughing at the sight of the pixie in yoga pants and a huge over sized zipper hoodie and her hair was not in it's normal spiky do it hung limply around her face "Laugh it up mofo." she pushed me out of the way and headed straight to my room with her rolling duffle that was almost as big as she was trailing after her.

I continued my job in the kitchen of putting things away and finishing the chicken soup once I was done and the soup was underway I got a bottle of Gatorade and took it to Alice.

I swear she hadn't been here for more than half an hour and it looked like it was hers, my rooms color scheme was white red and black she now had hot pink in the mix too. From what I could see in the closet some of her stuff was now in there too she had taken over one of the bed side tables the right one to be exact there were bottles of medicine and her phone charging beside her laptop. I was just happy she had left the left side alone that was the side I slept on.

She had Thirteen Going on Thirty on and her giggles sounded off because of her stuffy nose. When she saw me she patted the bed besides her motioning for me to join her. "My dad says he met your boyfriend the other night he says he likes him very much for you." of course he would he had fathered this little thing. "He told my dad what happened." she was speaking softly now. "He told him Jacob had showed up when he was taking boxes out and started taunting him by talking bad about you. That he was saying demeaning things and then went on to pushing him a dew times and when Edward pushed him back and tried to head back inside when Jacob grabbed him and punched him in the face so he hit him back pushing him away and tried to get inside again to avoid anything more when Jake tackled him and hit him repeatedly when he was on the ground then stood up and kicked him in the ribs." there were tears threatening to spill over, it had been my fault that he was hurt."Bella don't lie to me or yourself anymore and tell me that you don't care because you do I saw it that day that I told you about Kelsey and I see it now my dad saw it. You know that, that boy has liked you since you bumped into him. The day I brought up your dress in front of him that was all his attention was on because it was something for you and when I asked him he reverted to a little boy and was all shy but eventually I got it out of him. And that day that he hugged you I could've sworn he had smoked something special but when I asked him he told me that he had hugged you and that was why he was happy. I've seen changes in you too you seem happier your face is lighter your movements look peaceful. This would be a simple kind of love Bella it's innocent and pure. It's something you missed out on when you were with Jacob, he had been around and he was your first. But now you have a chance for something with Edward so stop denying it and go with it." she leaned her head on my shoulder and looked up at me. "If anyone deserves this it's you." and just as soon as she got all-serious she changed the subject. "Go check on my food I'm hungry! Do you have little goldfish? Can I have some oh and grapes?"

I just started laughing wiping stray tears away. I walked into the kitchen getting trays ready taking one to Alice first and then Edward. He was still fast asleep and still burning up and even though I had taken the blankets away from just covering his feet and he somehow managed to get it back up to his chin.

I pulled it away again down to his feet groaning in protest he opened his eyes. "Hey." he winced a bit when he tried to sit up but I stopped him. I got other pillows and put them under his shoulders and lower back sitting him up. "It smells good." his voice was raspy with sleep. "it might just smell good and taste bad." I took his pills from the container and set them aside, he shook his head "If you made it, it has to be good." that made me smile and when I turned back to him I saw how tired he looked his whole body screamed exhaustion the bruising on his chest was still dark and it looked like it hurt like no other. "Open." I held the pills up to his mouth and put them in quickly putting the straw in for him to have some water. Alice then made her way into the room "Hey there rocky!" she plopped onto the bed and settled the tray in her lap. Even Edward noticed that Alice looked like crap and he tried to smirk "What happened to you?" the pixie narrowed her eyes but smiled at him "I'm sick and since Bella is playing doctor anyway I decided to stay here." and she put a spoonful of soup into her mouth as he watched and hen I remembered I had his food.

"Open up." he opened his mouth wide enough for me to place the spoon in and to take it out. "I told you that if you made it, it couldn't taste bad." in the next spoonful I had gotten a piece of carrot and squash, when I made the move to place the spoon in his mouth he clamped it shut and shook his head.

Alice was watching holding in her laughter "I thought you said it was good?" I hadn't tasted it myself but it looked ok. "It is good I just don't like squash." he said that without opening his mouth "Its yucky." when 'yucky' came out of him mouth I couldn't contain my laughter and neither could Alice and his face looked confused and bothered. "What's so funny?" we both shook our heads and brought our laughter to chuckles. He wasn't having that "Why are you laughing?" he had a slight pout going on and hadn't seen him pout like this before. "You said yucky." he smiled and settled back into his pillows.

I continued feeding him even though he fussed at first about him not feeding himself but I promised I wouldn't feed him squash and he agreed. Alice began talking about the dress and how she thought about changing the fabric color and I just went with it and then all of a sudden the subject changed to The Vampire Diaries and we just kept going. Every time I would give him a spoonful his eyes would be on me and even when I wasn't looking at him I could feel his eyes on me. "Bella you can have McSmirky and do whatever you want with him, I want Stephan but I have to agree McSmirky is hot." when I went to give him the last spoonful and looked at him his eyes were narrowed and his breathing was a little shallow. "Who is McSmirky?" Alice snorted but kept her mouth shut "He's a character on a TV show we watch and Alice likes Stephan and I like Damon they're brothers and are vampires." he looked slightly confused. "Then who is McSmirky?" I smiled. "McSmirky is a nickname I have for Damon." I held up the spoon and he opened up his eyes still on me. After a while of listening to Alice and I keep going about the Salvatore brothers I noticed him start to drift off though he would still make a face every time he heard Damon or McSmirky.

Once he was asleep again Alice and I stepped out into the kitchen. She was too quiet for my liking something was swimming in that head of hers. "Spit it out Alice." her face was too innocent. "Can I plan your wedding?" I rinsed off the dishes and went straight to my office ignoring her and her silly question.

As I read I started thinking about things so much so that I set my book down and stared out the window looking over the water and into Seattle. I sat there and thought for what felt like hours and at the end of those two hours that I sat there I decided that the protectiveness I had of Edward came from another feeling I had for him and that maybe I would listen to Alice.

When I left my office I walked around the house surprised to find it quiet. Alice was sleeping in the living room with magazines scattered around her and a marathon of project runway on the TV. I checked on Edward and he was doing the same he'd been doing all day sleeping so I decided to start on dinner for the two sickies. Once I had the broccoli soup done my mom called asking something that only Alice knew the answer to so I woke her up and handed her the phone if you saw the way she immediately went into the conversation you would've sworn she was never asleep. I had only checked on Edward an hour and a half ago and when I went in now he was drenched in sweat and shivering even if the blanket was partially covering his face I rushed in and took the blanket off immediately.

The dressing around his ribs was wet from his sweat and his hair stuck to his face while the lounge pants clung to his lower body. I ran to the bathroom filling a bowl with cold water and taking a washcloth with me. I dipped it into the bowl and placed it on his forehead. He was mumbling incoherently while his eyes were fluttering.

"Alice!" I heard her little footsteps rushing to the room and when she saw his state panic flooded her features. "Alice, call your dad." I took the cloth and wet it again placing it on his forehead again and dabbing he rest of his face.

"Daddy, he's all sweaty and he won't stop shivering." Alice's voice was shaky at best.

"Alice put the phone on speaker and let me talk to Bella." she handed me the phone and I took over. "Peter his fever is one oh four point two it's gone up from the one oh two he had last night and all of today. He's shivering and mumbling incoherently and his body is covered in sweat and from what I understand he's cold but he's burning up." Alice was freaking out and when this happened she would start rearranging things it was her thing. "What is he wearing?" I looked down at his pants and answered him. "Bella you have to take those off and I'd have you take his underwear off but Alice is still there and I don't want things to be awkward between you two if she sees your boyfriend naked." I was about to protest that he wasn't but I remembered that I had to help him. I pulled his pants off and his socks leaving him in only the wrap for his ribs and his boxerbriefs but I couldn't focus on those even though I did like guys that wore them. "Once you have those off I need you to take the wrap off too." I unfastened the wrap and began pulling it off and slid it so that I didn't have to lift him once I had taken it off I let Peter know. "Now go to the bathroom and fill the tub with luke warm water you don't want to make it too cold if you do it will lower his temperature too fast and send him into shock." I nodded more to myself than anyone else.

I filled the tub with water and got back to Edward. "Once the tub is full put him in and leave him there for twenty to thirty minutes then give him Motrin leave him in only boxerbriefs." I then opened my mouth like an idiot. "I leave him in the wet ones?" I could hear the amusement in his voice. "No Bella, change him into a dry pair. Tell Alice to chill and stop fixing things I can hear her bustling around." we hung up a few moments later and stood Edward up apologizing after every hiss and groan of pain. When we got to the tub I helped him in sitting on the side of the tub for ten minutes then pulling him out. He was coherent now and had a little more strength.

"Edward I'm going to have to take these off." I gestured at his midsection just giving him a heads up. "No! Why? Bella you really don't have to." I'd be reacting exactly the same way if I were him but it had to be done I had to. "They're wet and I can't put you to bed like this. Peter is off in Forks and so is my dad so you'll have to settle for me." his face was apprehensive so I tried reassuring him "I promise I won't look." he still looked apprehensive but nodded for me to do it. I came back with a dry pair and closed my eyes while I took them off. I had to open my eyes to make sure I was putting them on right. 'Don't look' was my mantra at the moment and then I heard the door open and the gasp coming from Alice. "She saw didn't she?" I could hear worry in his voice and we heard her voice from my room. "Didn't see anything Bella's head was doing a good job of covering it all up." I then pulled them all the way up and stood up and he immediately covered himself up with the towel he did it in such a rush that I wondered how he did it. I helped him walk into the room and sat him on the bed I took off the heavy blanket and fixed the pillows. "Um where's my pants?" I smirked. "You can't wear any were trying to keep your temperature down." he just nodded and clutched the towel to him midsection. I found some clean dressing for his ribs. I kneeled down in front of him and began wrapping his ribs.

When I was fastening it my fingers brushed against his chest and I felt him shiver afraid that his temperature had gone up again I checked it and it was now at one oh two. I gave him the Motrin and stepped back letting him settle into the bed. "I'm going to get you something to eat. I'll be right back he nodded and smiled still clutching that towel. When I was in the kitchen I had left Alice in there with him and she came into the kitchen smirking. "Do you have like a sheet or something for Edward." I looked at her worried. "Why is he cold? Is he shivering again?" my fear at the moment was that the fever would get bad again.

"No don't worry he's fine but he has a little problem." the smirk came back. I raid my eyebrow in question. "Well I mean it can't be little when you see the size of his hands and feet but what the hell did you do to him you would expect nothing to happen since he's so sick but you get the idea." I finally got it and went to the linen closet getting a light sheet out and going to his room and covering him with it. He looked like he was about to fall asleep again. "Hey, stay up for a little while longer you have to eat something." he opened his eyes wider making me laugh. "No Squash?" I pushed his hair off him face. "I promise no squash."

When I came back with a bowl full of green he made a face despite the fact that he was half asleep. "Open, I made it so it's good." he eyed me suspiciously but ate nonetheless. He ate it all and laid back closing his eyes and his breathing began to even out. Before I stepped out I leaned down and kissed his forehead letting my lips linger there for a few moments. "Don't scare me like that again. You have no idea how scary that was." placing one last kiss I stood up and noticed he was smiling "I promise I won't scare you again."

**Reviews are like a little ray of happiness at the moment. So let me know what you think. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I know long time no see but . . . yeah. Won't bore you with that story. Here it is.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine its all S.M.'s. Pity. What I do own, a BMW X5.

Chapter SIx

The next morning I woke up with my head on Edwards forearm and someone stroking my cheek. When I opened my eyes I saw him looking at me while his hand continued stroking my cheek. "Good morning. Sorry I scared you." I smiled "I said no more apologizing that wasn't your fault. Good morning." the swelling of his eye and lip had gone down but the color was still the same.

"How do you feel? I know it's a pointless question but it has to be better than what you felt yesterday." I had stayed up checking his temperature every half hour even if Peter told me to do it every hour I just wanted to be safe. "I'm better now it still hurts but it's not as bad." I nodded and closed my eyes. "I guess I can't take you on our date Friday anymore." his voice was defeated and when I heard the word date my eyes opened and looked up at him. "No but we can go another day once you're not in pain and not sick." his eyes lit up. "Really?" he was excited and I was happy to see a happy light in his eyes that wasn't dying from exhaustion. He had slept soundly through the night not many complaints coming from him, I was happy that his fever had finally gone down and that he finally got some rest. "Yeah really."

Alice decided to walk her sleepy self into the room then what surprised me was that she was in clothes today even if she looked funny she was in yoga pants again but this time the hoodie fit her. I stood up leaving Edward behind. "I'm going to get some breakfast for us I'll be back soon I left them both in the room and came back half an hour later only to find them both asleep. Alice curled up in a ball in the chair I had beside his bed and him with his iPod on playing One Republic. I took them out of his ears and his eyes opened letting me know he hadn't been asleep and he smiled. "Can I have some pants now?"

I checked his temperature one more time and it was still at one oh one it hadn't gone up or down so I went ad got some for him. I was planning on putting them on for him but the guy in him that thought that just because he no longer felt like crap he could do things for himself stopped me. " Do you think I can try, but can I use you for support I don't have my full strength back yet." I nodded and helped him stand: he struggled a bit and used me to balance himself but he did it I saw him wince and heard him hiss in pain when his ribs moved but said nothing I'd let him be a guy.

I put the coffee cup under the mob boss' nose and she woke up, I had just offered the energizer bunny crack. I laughed at the thought and her eyes narrowed. "Yeah yeah energizer bunny on crack whatever I'm sick." Edward laughed and it sounded raspy both of them had stuffy noses so the humidifier was on. Each had gotten their muffin Alice went straight for the blueberry muffin while Edward had a taste similar to mine he liked banana nut. I called Angela and let her know I wouldn't be going in.

We spent the day just watching movies once Alice was out like a light I watched discovery health with Edward but I wasn't looking at the screen I was watching his face like I always did when he watched it.

The next morning when I went to check on the sickies Alice was up before I was and was sitting in my living room doing yoga. She told me she had checked on Edward earlier and that he was fine so I just poked my head in seeing he was sleeping I hopped into the shower and got ready for the day. I picked out dark wash jeans with a black gap v-neck t-shirt with a pocket on the left side of the chest. Since I was home I went barefoot. When I checked on him again he was up and going through his stuff looking for some clothes.

"You think you can help me get the shirt on?" and look at that he asks for help. I smiled and nodded. He showed me the one he had chosen and it was a white red and blue plaid Abercrombie button up and some dark blue jeans with a white V-neck. "I was thinking of getting rid of this." he gestured to his beard. "I'm just not sure how to." I went through the bag of things I had bought the other day happy I had shaving cream and some razors.

"Come on." I led him into the bathroom and sat up on the counter and had him step between my legs and just then Alice walked into the bathroom. "Dammit why do I always walk in at the most awkward times?" I balled up a washcloth and threw it at her retreating head she put her hand up and gave me the one finger salute. Edward started laughing but quickly stopped clutching his sides from the pain. "I keep forgetting."

I put a towel over my lap and began trimming his beard and once I was done I began to use the razor-exposing inch after inch of pale smooth skin. By the time I was done his face was clean of any facial hair and if I had thought he was attractive when he had his beard it was nothing to what he looked like now.

He had a strong jaw and high cheekbones now making his emerald green eyes the focus on his face. I must have stared for too long because he spoke up. "Is there something wrong?" I shook my head. "Nope nothing is wrong you just look different." his eyebrows scrunched up in worry and I tried to reassure him. "A good different." he sighed in relief and I hopped off the counter. "Thank you." after saying that he leaned down and placed a kiss on my forehead like I had done for him.

"I'll be right back let me just iron your shirt." I touched his now smooth cheek enjoying the feel. There was a small smile playing on his lips as I walked away.

As I made my way back with his ironed shirt I remembered something my mom used to do with Emmett and I when we had bad bruising, Emmett because of soccer and me because I was accident prone since birth. I walked into the kitchen and go the salt container and some linen napkins and walked back to his room. He had his jeans on and was waiting for me on the bed.

"Lay back, my mom used to do this with me and my brother when we had bruises." he laid back and I took the dressing off his ribs and had him lay there while I prepped things. I took the napkins and laid them on the bathroom counter top and put a big mount of salt on each then wrapping it in the napkins and then drowning them in alcohol.

When I went back I laid the two long ones across his ribs vertically and taking the smaller one placing it over his eye. "This will take away some of the bruising. It always helped me when I was younger." he nodded and closed his good eye. We sat there for twenty minutes and just as I was taking he last one off Alice walked in. "Look at Mr. Hottie. I would've done it a long time ago I just didn't know how to. Doesn't he look hot Bella?" I could feel the blood flooding my face as she waited for my answer. When I saw him he was blushing as well and Alice continued to wait for my answer "Yeah he does." the heat in my face got worse and he smiled widely.

The salt and alcohol had helped some. The bruising was now lighter and looked like it was in it's last stages of healing which was better than seeing him in so much pain. He sat up and I helped him get the shirts on when I saw everything on I knew Alice had done her shopping with me in mind. All his clothes were fitted just the way I liked it on a guy, another thing that proved Jacob was wrong his clothing was always loose. The shirts fit him snug and the jeans were fitted clinging to him in just the right way and when she caught me checking him out she nodded smugly with a smirk on her face.

It was until then that I heard my mothers' voice. "Bella, I'm here with the cake decorator. Is Alice here yet?" she showed up at the door to my room noticing I wasn't there. There she turned and saw us all in the other. Edward was standing near me his body angled towards me and Alice was sitting in the chair by the bed.

When she saw Edward she smiled like it was Christmas. I groaned quietly "Bella! Where have you been hiding him?" she strode forward just a few feet from where we were. Despite Edwards' shy nature he introduced himself to my mom.

"Hello Mrs. Swan, I'm Edward." he took my moms hand politely and I swear my mother had developed a crush right then and here on the guy that I was hoping I would someday call my boyfriend. There was no question about whether I would have my mothers' approval or not. "Edward call me Renee please. Is it safe to guess that you are my Bella's boyfriend?" Edward beamed when she said that and I wanted to crawl under a rock. "I would like to think so Renee." I would like to think so too, this boy was a charmer. I could swear I saw my mom swoon. The little mob boss looked pleased with what was going on and nodded at my moms following statement. "Que bonito esta el hodido." "Edward looked confused so I cleared it up for him blushing the entire time. "She just said you are very cute." then my mom remembered that she had someone waiting. "Come on we can't have him waiting for too long we have to do the cake tasting too." Alice clapped as if she needed more sugar.

An hour later we had chosen the flavors of marble cake with fresh strawberries and butter cream, red velvet with an almond butter cream filling and the last would be chocolate with a chocolate butter cream. My mom would 'aw' when I would give some cake to Edward so he wouldn't have to move much and I swear that John the cake decorator had a crush on him too. Alice covered Edwards face in butter cream giving him a frosting beard and nose. I could hear his laughter while talking with my mom and John I could also hear the pain in the laugh but he was having a good time. We had settled on gift boxes being the design for the bottom of the cake and after three boxes were stacked together there would be a bunch of flowers that would hold up a sphere that would have a pink ribbon tied around it on top of that would be a heart and then finally a pink ribbon would be added to it. The ribbon would be ivory tying in with the color scheme, the center of the flowers would be black the ribbon tying them would be pink and he boxes would be varying shades of pink with pink ribbons.

When I went to sit beside Alice and Edward out of no where I saw a frosting covered finger come towards my nose and when I looked at the culprit he was smiling underneath all the frosting and I smiled back. I turned to Alice "You made the mess now you clean it up." I took the frosting off my nose and ate it. She stood up to get a cloth I assumed when she leaned down and spoke in my ear. "You sure you don't wanna lick it off?" with that she stood up straight and followed my mom into the kitchen I could tell she had heard Alice the smile on her face said so. I was lucky the discovery health channel was on and all his attention was directed at that. I stood and followed then into the kitchen too. Mob boss walked past me with a wet and dry cloth giving me her signature Alice look.

"You know it would've been fun to lick it off I'm sure I could've taken Alice out for a while." Alice should have been my mothers daughter their minds were alike.

"Mom!" she held up her hands innocently. "I was just saying. Bella is he the reason Jake was fired? I saw Jake and he had a black eye said your new boyfriend gave it to him and you may have helped. He came to us Yesterday but Peter came to me the night of." she gave me a look letting me know that Peter had told her all he knew and that was everything and Jake he was something else I couldn't believe he had already gone to my parents what was he two?

"He acts like a little two year old going to cry to my mommy and daddy. Yeah Edward is the reason why. Jake beat him badly and then left him on the floor in the pouring rain. He had a spilt lip and eyebrow and three broken ribs. From being in the cold rain for so long he had a dangerously high fever for two days. All because Jake can't face that it's been over between us since December because he's delusional and thinks this is just a break? Yeah I fired him I'd been wanting to do it since I found him with Lauren but I didn't and if that weren't enough I put up with him harassing me, Edward was just the straw that broke the camels back." she smiled and rubbed my back

"I never really liked Jake, but I like Edward there's something about him I don't know what but I like it." I leaned my head on her shoulder. "I like it too." I could feel her shake with silent laughter.

"I can tell you do. Has he gotten any memories back?" I shook my head. I kept hoping that something would come back to him because I was sure he had parents somewhere that were worried about him but nothing ever came.

Alice and Edward stayed behind while I went to lunch with my mom and stopped by the office to take care of some things while they were busy fighting over what to watch in the living room I was happy I wasn't there because apparently he didn't bend to the will of the pixie mob boss. When I got back Alice was furiously whispering to Edward so I stood at the doorway listening.

**Reviews, good or bad are welcomed. :] **

**Next Update: In a few days for sure, school is out so I have time.**


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